Cotton Tree Park Playground Review (Maroochydore)

Cotton Tree Park playground and river access

Cotton Tree Park is a fantastic place to visit with the family on the Sunshine Coast. Despite the humble name, it has the same Sunshine Coast vibe as nearby Mooloolaba, with the Maroochy river and Maroochydore beach nearby. This playground is stretched along the riverfront park and is sheltered by the namesake cotton trees that grow abundantly along the banks of the river here.

This large public park features sandy beach access to the Maroochy river, a jetty, basketball courts and hoops, and permanent table tennis tables as well as the playground, barbecues, picnic tables, shelters other seating and there are cafes, take away shops and restaurants nearby, making this an ideal destination to spend the whole morning, or perhaps come for the afternoon and stay to watch the sunset over the river.

Please note there are popular local markets on Sunday mornings which are fantastic to visit, however finding a car park can be more challenging when they’re on.

Cotton Tree Park Playground

The playground is located right next to the Maroochy River near the river mouth, with fantastic views across the shallow tranquil waters. The playground picks up on this setting by incorporating the coastal theme throughout the equipment here, from rocking boats, dolphins and surfboards to several sand play opportunities including scoops, pulleys, buckets, wheels and a digger.

There is also a range of swings here – a pair each of toddler swings and belt swings and a large net swing. The merry-go-round is level to the surrounding soft fall and there’s a huge climbing net and smaller climbing fort structures with their own smaller nets, ladders and slides, and monkey bars. There are also fantastic natural elements here, such as balancing logs to approach the monkey bars, sandstone boulders, and a bridge for visitors to interact with.

Most of the equipment is over a sand base with some soft fall leading to more accessible equipment. There is some shade provided by the shade sails and surrounding trees.

There is also access to the sandy river beach from this park, which provides a whole other world of play. Due to the wide, shallow and frequently calm waters of this river mouth, it makes an ideal place to swim, paddle and try out water sports. There are rarely powered watercraft or waves near the shore at Cotton Tree, making it attractive to beginners. Like all rivers, it can be subject to tides and strong currents so please plan and prepare accordingly.

Imagination Factor

Brisbane Kids will easily imagine they are clambering up the rigging of a pirate ship as they scale to the top of the rope structure, especially as it’s so close to the water. The boat and other water-themed elements to this playground and the sand base add to this feel.

The sand tables operate as a kind of production line, so often groups of children collaborate and cooperate to move the sand from one end to the other, assigning tasks, learning skills and making friends as they go.

Incorporating natural elements such as the wooden bridge, sandstone blocks, sand base and timber beams, and the cotton trees themselves encourages kids to interact and explore the natural world around them.

The river is accessible from the park and once again provides opportunities for Brisbane Kids to splash, explore and play in a beautiful natural environment.

Accessibility

There are several designated disabled parking spots in the Cotton Tree park. While much of the playground is on a sand base, the round-a-bout is level to the soft fall surroundings, and the net swing and some other interactive features including one of the play forts are also in this soft fall section.

The park is on flat, level ground and has wide smooth paths.